Today I want to introduce a gin which bears a very personal signature. And it does that in many ways because already the gin’s name shows that it is a personal matter or may become personal. But of course there is a certain story behind that name which has to do with the personal history of the makers of this distillate. And this bottle is also connected to a personal and nice anecdote.

But first to the gin. The “B my gin” comes from one of the most southern places in Germany, from the city of Konstanz at Lake Constance which is also the largest city at the shores of the lake. In Konstanz you can find the classy Italian restaurant “Il Boccone” with the associated “Il Bar” where barman Patrick Braun offers numerous modern and historical classics. Personally he is especially keen on gin and I also got to know him in the context of interest groups about gin in the social media off this article. There he likes to discuss and recommend different gins from around the world. “From around the world” is actually to be taken literally here since Patrick Braun likes to jet off to many places throughout the world whenever he can (of course also to visit bars and especially to try new gins). Actually that’s no big surprise because the trained aircraft technician has many years of experience as a flight attendant for Lufthansa.

Together with two friends this eventually led to the idea of creating a very personal gin on his own, which has now finally been realized. Thomas Weber, owner of the Il Boccone restaurant in Konstanz, also joined the team alongside Eugen Schindler, head of the ad agency Schindler Parent in Meersburg. Florian Faude, who might be known to some cocktail- and spirits-addicts in Germany due to his highly successful fruit brandies “Faude feine Brände”, did the part of the master distiller.

The cork refers to the Il Bar Il Boccone

The idea behind “B my Gin” is all regional, because the announced goal was to create a gin that does not only match the creator’s personal taste, but which also captures the atmosphere of the Lake Constance region. That particular region is not only famous for its numerous orchards and apple trees but also for the flower-island of Mainau. My last visit to that region (and also to Mainau) dates back to the year of 1990 and so I somehow have a feeling that my memories of these days are not the best, especially when it comes to aromatic impressions of the countryside that might be suitable for a good gin (well, that might also be connected with the fact that back then I was 8 years old). And finally, there is of course the proximity to Italy, which is also reflected in the gin.

The Botanicals inside of the “B my Gin” include Juniper (surprise), Sicilian lemons, apples, roses, violets, lavender and cardamom. Especially the last two are music to my ears because I love both lavender and cardamom.

Oh, and also a word about the name of the distillate: of course on the one hand it should emphasize the personal approach the gin takes, but on the other hand the exposed letter “B” also has a meaning in terms of marketing: Bodensee (the German word for Lake Constance), Braun (Patrick’s surname), Botanicals, Il Boccone (Thomas Weber’s restaurant) and Brennmeister (the German word for master distiller – which alludes to Florian Faude). This is of course not written on the bottles label so you won’t get behind it without further background information but, you know, blog articles like this one have to be good for something.

Initially I also spoke of a personal anecdote. Prior to this article the contact to Patrick Braun brought to light that we have something in common besides gin and cocktails. In fact he is – like me – a passionate fan of (turn-based) strategy games. Well and so one day I found a package with a really  promising game called “Washington’s War” in my mailbox. Unfortunately I could not try it until now, but I’m already eager to play it as soon as I get the chance to do so. Of course this nice little bribe created a very positive and open-minded atmosphere when it came to the “B my Gin” (Seriously: thank you again for the beautiful game, I really appreciate it)!

The B my Gin is a Western Dry Gin and was bottled at 42% vol.

Tasting Notes:

Aroma: On the nose there’s beautifully balanced juniper (which is definitely not too dominant). It immediately combines with an aromatic lemon. In the background you can actually find violets and lavender in a floral mantle. Cardamom and rose petals become discreetly manifest after some time.  The aroma of the “B my Gin” is really nice!

Taste: Again, I notice the aromatic lemon and some apples almost before there is juniper, rose petals show some oriental associations of perfume. The “B my Gin” offers a mild, almost creamy mouthfeel and it also shows a pleasant and subtle spice character on the palate. Violets are also perceptable. Seriously that’s a great gin! It’s definitely more on the fresh and flowery side and no massive juniper bomb.

Finish: long and fresh with a lingering cardamom.

I have also tried the “B my Gin” in combination with a Kingers Tonic, which I have already tasted with a Black Gin in the past. Again, this was a very delicate experience. The fresh and floral notes harmonize perfectly with the subtle roasted malt of Kingers Tonic.

Buying sources: The website of the “B my Gin” is still under construction. The beautiful corked 0.5l bottle costs about € 39.90 and can be found in the stock of some specialized spirits traders in Germany (for example here).